Mets Minors: When trading Dominic Smith might be okay

If you are a fan of the Mets and follow the minor leagues you’ve heard the name Dominic Smith. Smith is currently enshrined as the future of first base for the team and fans are looking forward to seeing him rake in Las Vegas for a season before he reaches Queens. Yet, Smith might not be destined for Met greatness after all.

Earlier this week Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.com mentioned that the Mets lined up well with both the Royals and White Sox on a potential mid-season deal. The idea being that the Mets will have needs that these teams and the Mets will match well for what one another might need and have to offer.

The Kansas City Royals are heading towards a rebuilding movement and will likely be looking for prospect returns on players who are going to be gone in 2018 anyway. Third baseman Mike Moustakas, first baseman Eric Hosmer and Center Fielder Lorenzo Cain are all good fits for the Mets in 2017 and change the Mets from World Series contenders to the World Series favorites.

The Chicago White Sox are in the midst of their own rebuild and can move on from third baseman Todd Frazier, relief pitcher David Robertson and first baseman Jose Abreu. Adding two 30+ home run players and a late inning reliever would also give the Mets the edge on 98% of the competition.

Now, neither of these deals comes cheap and the only “bridge too far” is Amed Rosario. So, what names could we expect to be included in one or the other of these packages? Start your quest with Dominic Smith and Thomas Szapucki and consider adding three to four other names like Gavin Cecchini and Desmond Lindsay as well. Yes, that’s a lot of talent to give up… it’s also a heck of a return and one we might be okay with… if we bring home a trophy.

It’s hard for me to envision Smith having good trade value in an offseason where 1b/DH types are going for pennies on the dollar.

In fact, i don’t remember 1b prospects ever having good trade value as i can’t remember the last time a 1b prospect was the headline piece, or even co-headline piece, in a trade for a significant player. I think you have to go back 6+ years ago to 2010 when Rizzo traded for Gonzalez, but in that trade Casey Kelly was the clear headline and i’m not sure how badly the Padres really wanted Rizzo vs swapping him for another prospect.

Teams usually don’t care for trading for 1b prospects as that’s usually the place where you put aging veterans or OF guys who can mash but suck in the field. I know it’s 2 different regimes, but makes me wonder why we wasted 2 first round draft picks on 1b in a span of 5 years.

When I look at timetables, I find it hard to believe the Mets would go with an unproven Smith next season, since Rosario and Conforto will likely be regulars.

One thing Smith has proven, or clearly demonstrated, is that he struggles at first adjusting to the next level. So it’s predictable that even if he succeed at the ML level, those first few months might be rough.

So trade Smith? Sure, especially since I hardly see him as “enshrined at the future” for the Mets. He’s a candidate. I don’t believe he’s reached “can’t miss” status.

Not that I’m eager to give him away. But yeah, KC is interesting, especially if we are talking about Cain in CF. I could see how Smith might be a piece they’d like in a package. But as Name pointed out, he’d only be a piece of the puzzle. Like many trades, it would be a tough one to make. But Smith wouldn’t be the most painful aspect, I suspect. KC would want Dunn, too. (Wild guess.)

What you have to understand is that 99% of these Mets writers…and others…have nothing better to do than conjure up some pipe dream after they’ve have too much time on their hands and they just enjoy cranking the fans up and starting rumors without any merit. Remember all the claims and stories from last year? How many of them actually happened? Less than 3% I’d say…especially the 10 a day rumors about Daniel Murphy
They had major talent coming to the Mets for all of our washed up and overpaid players or our unproven minors… like other teams are actually looking to help rid us of them. And all of the stories about how David Wright is on his way back and I remember a post saying they expected him to start 136 games! Yeah right….. I don’t listen to any of this stuff and don’t believe any of it till it happens. I am a die hard Mets fan but after all….it’s just a business and none of what these guys say or post matters.

To Jim’s point, I don;t wan’t every player on the same clock, most especially a bunch of debuts at the same time.

I anticipate that Cheech and Nimmo and Conforto will get some exposure this year— if Plawecki, d’Arnaud, Flores can add some definition to “what they are”, they’d then be in better position to evaluate warming a couple of other guys to the roster–Rosario, Smith, etc.